The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church

The Mar Thoma Church (official name: The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church) is a Christian denomination based in Kerala, the south-western state of India. One of the Saint Thomas Christian churches tracing its origins to the missionary activity of Thomas the Apostle, the Mar Thoma Church defines itself as "Apostolic in origin, Universal in nature, Biblical in faith, Evangelical in principle, Ecumenical in outlook, Oriental in worship, Democratic in function, and Episcopal in character.". It is independent and indigenous. Its regular work as well as special projects are almost entirely financed by contributions from its members at home and abroad. It is currently in communion with the Anglican Communion and the Malabar Independent Syrian Church.

The Mar Thoma Church claims its roots from the original Malankara Church which was established by Thomas the Apostle at the same time as Saint Paul established the church in Corinth. The Mar Thoma Church states that it is the continuation of the original Malankara Church of the Saint Thomas Christians and that it still follows the ancient customs and traditions. The Church's theology was greatly influenced by the English missionaries in the 19th century. The body of believers who separated from the ancient Syriac Orthodox Church of Malankara after being influenced by Protestantism, organised themselves as the Marthoma Syrian Church in the later half of 19th century.

The Church currently has around 4,000,000 members. Till the beginning of twentieth century Marthomites lived in a few districts of Central Travancore and Kunnamkulam of the southern Indian state of Kerala. But it has spread with the 20th-century Indian diaspora to North America, Europe, the Middle East, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, this in addition to a sizeable population in the rest of India. Their mother tongue is Malayalam the language of Kerala.